From Lönnrot's Collection of Ancient Finnish Charm Songs
The Kyydityssanoja — Conveyance Words — are among the most vivid and generous of the tietäjä's incantations. Having commanded the disease spirit to leave in the Luovutussanoja, the charm-singer now offers it transport. This is not kindness but strategy: a spirit given a horse and a road departs more willingly than one driven out with threats alone. The horses offered are always supernatural — fire-maned stallions from Hiisi's mountain with hooves of iron, heads of stone, backs of steel, muzzles that spray fire and sparks from their shanks.
The cosmological geography is precise. The spirit is given multiple routes: by horse along the road, by ski over the hill, by boat across the water. The destination is always the same — the dark Pohjola, the fire of Hell, the evil land where there is no rest. Stones in the road crack in half; fences are smashed through; warriors step aside. The Hiisi-horse never tires, never sweats, never slips on ice or cliff. On its back is a basin of fat, clear water on its spine, from which the sorcerers drink as they ride.
These incantations were collected by Elias Lönnrot and published in Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja (Ancient Charm Songs of the Finnish People, Helsinki, 1880), section 9. This is the seventh file in the charm-singer sequence. Translated from the Finnish by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
Kyydityssanoja — Conveyance Words
a.
If you should ask for a ride,
If you should beg for a draft-horse,
I will give you a ride,
I will get you a grey horse,
For you to go to your home,
For you to return to your lands;
I will make its hooves of stone,
Cast its legs of copper,
Fit sinew-reins upon it;
If the sinew-reins should not hold,
I will build reins of iron.
If that should not be enough,
I will give a fiercer ride,
Set a harder driver:
Take a horse from Hiisi,
Choose a colt from the mountain!
In Hiisi there is a fine horse,
A black-maned one in the fell,
For a good galloper,
For a hard rider
In iron saddle-gear,
In copper harness.
Its head is set of stone,
Its body cast of copper,
Its back made of steel,
Its legs wrought of iron;
Its muzzle sprays fire,
Sparks fly from its shanks.
Its hooves do not slip on ice,
Its legs do not crack on rock,
Not even on slippery ground,
Not even on the barren cliff.
b.
If you would ask for a ride,
If you would beg for a draft-horse,
I will find you a ride
And give you a draft-horse:
In Hiisi there is a fine horse,
A fire-maned one in the fell,
Whose muzzle strikes fire,
Whose nose shoots bright flame;
It has iron shoes,
Steel trotting-irons,
Inborn reins in its mouth,
Cheek-bars grown from birth.
It can climb the hill,
Ascend the hollow's bank,
Its fetlocks do not flag,
Nor do its shanks take fright,
When traveling over mountains,
When crossing hill-tops.
c.
If you cannot climb the mountain,
Cannot scale the Pain-mountain,
In Hiisi there are fine horses,
In the mountain, chosen colts;
Take a horse from Hiisi,
A charger from the harsh lands,
Hiisi's stallion, the russet one,
Fire-maned, iron-crested,
To be mounted from the housetop,
To be saddled from the fence,
That one can climb the mountains,
Can travel all the cliffs;
Its hooves do not slip,
Nor do its shoes skid,
When speeding through stone-fields,
When thundering over shores;
A lake is on its flanks,
Clear water on its spine,
From which the sorcerers drink,
From which the fire-travelers sip.
Harness the fiery colt,
Upon the fiery ground,
Drive hard over the cliffs,
Through Hiisi's smoking dens,
Strike like a fire-spark,
Move like a lye-washed dog;
Hiisi's stallion does not sweat,
Manala's beauty does not dampen.
d.
Are you asking for a ride
To go to your master's house?
I will arrange a cold ride for you,
Build you a stone-sled,
Build you an iron sleigh,
Set on it runners of flagstone;
Take a horse from Hell,
A reindeer from the North-land,
To travel to your home,
To reach your master's house!
If you will not obey that,
If you will not leave willingly,
You will get a ride from your own claws,
A draft-horse from beneath you;
Rise on the lean of your wings,
On the wing-tip, fly;
Or take your kindred's skis,
Hiisi's long-runners with iron heels,
Ask Hiisi for a helmet,
A cap from the broad Devil,
To go across the seas,
To splash across the ponds,
To run along the rivers,
To shake the lakes apart!
e.
Get Hiisi's skiing-skis,
Take Lempo's flying-gear,
The Devil's thick staff,
With which to ski through Hiisi's lands,
To wander through Lempo's groves,
To glide on bone-runners,
Swaying through Hiisi's lands,
Reeling through evil's lands,
Under Hiisi's fences,
Along evil's field-edges,
Skiing into Hell's fire,
Into evil power's blaze.
A stone lies crosswise in the road —
Let it crack in half;
A log lies lengthwise in the road —
Let it break in two;
A warrior stands upright in the road —
Let him step aside!
A fence comes against you —
Shoot the fence as you pass,
Rip a gap in the fence-rail,
Five fence-spans wide,
Seven posts apart,
Eight slash-and-burn timbers wide!
Colophon
Translated from the Finnish by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Source text: Elias Lönnrot, Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja (Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran kirjapainossa, 1880), section 9, "Kyydityssanoja," lines 3370–3555 (Project Gutenberg edition numbering). Five incantations (a–e) with variant readings noted in the source.
This is the seventh file in the charm-singer sequence, following:
- Foundational Words (Alkusanoja)
- Protection Words (Varomussanoja)
- Evil Eye Words (Kateen sanoja)
- Retribution Words and Origin-Investigations (Kostosanoja / Alkuperäisyyden tiedustussanoja)
- Work-Repair Words and Wrath-Removal Words (Työnsä korjaussanoja / Vihotussanoja)
- Yielding Words (Luovutussanoja)
The translation follows the gospel register — plain, direct, warm. The fire-horses are the most sustained piece of mythological world-building in the Loitsurunoja: Hiisi keeps supernatural horses in the mountains, with heads of stone, legs of iron, manes of fire, basins of water on their backs. These same horses appear in the Kalevala tradition. Here they serve a specific magical function — providing transport for banished spirits.
Blood Rule attestation: translated independently from the Finnish. No prior English translation is known to exist. Lönnrot's Finnish text is the sole source. The 1880 edition is in the public domain.
Scribe: Uralic Verse Translator (Rímur Translator lineage), New Tianmu Anglican Church, March 2026.
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Source Text
9. Kyydityssanoja.
a.
Jos sä kyytiä kysynet,
Anonet ajohevosta,
Kyllä sulle kyyin annan,
Hankin harmajan hevosen,
Kotihisi mennäksesi,
Maillesi palataksesi;
Teen sille kivestä kynnet,
Sääret vaskesta valatan,
Suitset suoniset sovitan;
Jos ei suoniset pitäne,
Suitset rautaiset rakennan.
Kun ei siitä kyllin liene,
Annan kyyin ankaramman,
Ajajan panen paremman:
Ota Hiiestä hevonen,
Varsa vuoresta valitse!
Hiiess' on hyvä hevonen,
Mustatukka tunturissa,
Hyvälle hypittäjälle,
Ajajalle ankaralle
Rautaisissa ratsahissa,
Vaskisissa valjahissa.
Pää sen on kivestä pantu,
Varsi vaskesta valettu,
Teräksestä selkä tehty,
Jalat rauasta rakettu;
Turpa tulta tuiskuavi,
Säkeniä säärivarret.
Sen ei kynnet jäällä nulju,
Jalat räisky kalliolla,
Ilmankana iljanella,
Kalmankana kaljamalla.
b.
Lienet kyytiä kysyvä,
Anova ajohevosta,
Kyllä sulle kyyin löyän
Ja annan ajohevosen:
Hiiess' on hyvä hevonen,
Tulitukka tunturissa,
Jonka turpa tulta iski,
Nenä varsin valkeata;
Sill' on rautaiset kapiot,
Teräksiset temmottimet,
Suitset suussa synnynnäiset,
Kasvannaiset kankirauat.
Se jaksaa mäkehen mennä,
Nousta notkon penkerehen,
Ei sen vuohiset varaja,
Eikä sääret säikähtele,
Vuoria vaeltaessa,
Mäkipäitä mentäessä.
c.
Jos et voine vuorta nousta,
Kipuvuorta kiivetellä,
Hiiess' on hyvät hevoset,
Vuoressa valiot varsat;
Ota Hiiestä hevonen,
Konkari kovilta mailta,
Hiien ruuna ruskeampi,
Tulitukka, rautaharja,
Tuvan päältä päistittävä,
Aialta satuloitava,
Sehän voipi vuoret nousta,
Kaikki kalliot samota;
Ei sen kynnet kilpistele,
Eikä kalpistu kapiot,
Kivikoita kiitäessä,
Rantoja ramuttaessa;
Lampi sill' on lautasilla,
Vesi selvä selkäluilla,
Josta noiat vettä juovat,
Tulikulkut kuihkoavat.
Valjasta tulinen varsa,
Tulisella tanterella,
Aja kalliot kovasti,
Pesät Hiitten pelmu'uta,
Tuika kuin tulikipuna,
Liiku kuin lipeä koira;
Ei hikoa Hiien ruuna,
Ei kastu Manalan kaunis.
d.
Ootkos kyytiä kysyvä
Isolahan mennäksesi,
Laitan sulle kylmän kyyin,
Valmistan kivisen kelkan,
Reen rautaisen rakennan,
Panen paasiset jalakset;
Ota hepo helvetistä,
Poropetra Pohjan maalta,
Kulkeaksesi kotihin,
Isolahan saahaksesi!
Kun et sie sitä totelle,
Etkä lähtene hevillä,
Saat sä kyyin kynsistäsi,
Altasi ajohevosen;
Nouse siipeisi nojahan,
Lepehellä lentämähän;
Tai ota sukusi sukset,
Hiien kalhut rautakannat,
Kysy Hiieltä kypärä,
Lakki laajan perkelehen,
Yli meret mennäksesi,
Lammit laikutellaksesi,
Joet pitkin juostaksesi,
Järvet järkytelläksesi!
e.
Saaos Hiien hiihtosukset,
Ota Lemmon lentoneuvot,
Paholaisen paksu sauva,
Joilla hiihät Hiien maita,
Lemmon lehtoja samoat,
Lylyin luisin luikottelet,
Hilpotellen Hiien maita,
Pahan maita paipotellen,
Hiien aitojen alatse,
Pahan pellon pientaretse,
Hiihät helvetin tulehen,
Pahan vallan valkeahan.
Kivi on tiellä poikkipuolin,
Se poikki porahtakohon;
Hako tiellä pitkinpuolin,
Se kaheksi katketkohon;
Uros tiellä pystynpuolin,
Sep' on laitahan lähetä!
Aita vastahan tulevi,
Ammu aita mennessäsi,
Riehto aitoa repäise,
Viieltä vitsasväliltä,
Seitsemältä seipähältä,
Kaheksalta kaskipuulta!
Source Colophon
Source text from Elias Lönnrot, Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja (Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran kirjapainossa, 1880), section 9. Public domain. Digital text sourced from Project Gutenberg edition #48751.
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